Thought Flow

The mind is essentially thoughts and emotions. We cannot locate it physically but we can only perceive it as what we think and feel.

What's on your mind? How are you feeling? These are all questions of the state of mind.

The subconscious part of the mind controls the functions that we need to survive such as regulating heartbeat, pressure, liver processes, kidney functions, etc... It also stores all of the memories from each and every experience as a positive or negative.

The conscious part of the mind determines how we feel at any given moment of time and what we decide to do or not to do. Both parts of the mind are linked.

Compare this to the software for any electronic device such as a mobile phone. Off the shelf, the phone usually works as intended. It is fully capable as designed by the manufacturer and there are no issues.

What is the actual software? It is just lines of code - line after line of conditions (if this, then that) and instructions. It is lines of text constructed with its own language.

After some time, the phone does not perform as it was designed to. It can be slow and it may be unable to execute certain tasks. It may even be infected with a virus or malware. The original set of conditions become corrupted or new text added which is not in line with the original purpose of the device or user's intentions.

In the same way, our human software - the mind - can also be corrupted. We usually start off in life believing anything is possible. With faith in our self, in others, we have confidence to achieve our vision. Over time, with more and more experiences, chances are we may have accumulated beliefs which are contrary to the original empowered state. Some may be genuine traumas and some may be incidents which only appeared to be negative because of our perception. Either way, the software has been 'infected' with thoughts and emotions which distract from our purpose.

With a device we can easily do a reboot which often clears simple issues. We do this ourselves when we sleep. The mind is refreshed in the morning ready for a new day and ideally free from thoughts and emotions that don't belong in the present. As computers have a hard drive storing data and backups from daily activities, we have the subconscious mind which stores the perceived memories from each experience. Virus thoughts and beliefs stored here do not clear with a reboot and therefore a software patch is required.

Software developers are continuously working on upgrades and patches for their programs, especially for computers and smartphones. Likewise, we need to upgrade ourselves. By continuously observing our thoughts and emotions we can identify where the 'bugs' are.

One of the most effective ways to do this is through affirmations - these are sentences designed to counteract negative thoughts and beliefs. For example, you may have observed that your lack of motivation to complete a task is accompanied with thoughts of feeling 'not worthy.' In this case, an ideal affirmation would be something like "I deserve to achieve xyz." A phrase with words that completely counter the unwanted, self defeating belief.

By repeating the affirmation consistently, the unwanted thought loses its power. How does this work? Your mind cannot believe in two opposing beliefs at the same time. By repeating the affirmation with conviction you are literally telling your mind what to believe. When you say something it is usually because you believe it. Unless you are lying to someone or even your self when you say something it is usually because you mean it.

Affirmations are the software upgrades of the mind, the security patches.

We give so much care and attention to our devices, ensuring they are regularly updated. Don't we deserve to upgrade our own software?